Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-2028: PhD and research grants (deadlines by country)

Every year the Swiss Confederation awards the Government Excellence Scholarships (ESKAS) to early career researchers and artists from more than 180 countries. For the 2027-2028 academic year, applications are open with a different deadline for each country (between 6 October 2026 and 30 November 2026).

Deadlines for North Africa and French-speaking Africa

Scholarship types

Amount and benefits

• CHF 2,450 per month to cover the living costs of one person.
• Compulsory health insurance paid (applicants from non-EU/EFTA countries).
• Return flight allowance (applicants from non-EU/EFTA countries).
• One-time CHF 600 for the rental deposit and a Half-Fare travelcard for public transport.
• Not covered: tuition or semester fees (about CHF 600 to 2,000 per semester depending on the institution), conferences and fieldwork.

Main requirements

• Be 35 years old at most.
• Research or PhD scholarship: hold a Master's degree and the written support of a professor at a Swiss university, university of applied sciences, EPFL, ETH Zurich or an ETH Domain institute who will supervise the project.
• Art scholarship: hold a Bachelor's degree and an admission (or proof of application) to a Swiss art school or conservatory.
• Check the scholarship types offered for your country before applying.

How to apply

• Create an account and apply online only on the GO ESKAS platform (no email or paper applications).
• First find an academic supervisor in Switzerland: this is the step that takes the longest.
• Respect your country's deadline (table below), at 11:59 PM Swiss time.

Deadlines for all countries (2027-2028 call)

Official country list updated on 26 October 2026.

Countries with no offer for 2027-2028

Andorra, Canada, France, Greece, Greenland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden

Beware of scams: applying is free. The Swiss Government never asks for money (visa or insurance fees…) by email or on social media.

Next call: scholarships for 2028-2029 will be published in August 2027. This page will be updated then.

Official source (SERI): https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/en/swiss-government-excellence-scholarships-at-a-glance
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